Healing from Diastasis Recti

This post isn’t my norm, and is probably of no interest to some of you. In that case, let me direct you to the recipe index for some fun dessert browsing or the Five Fact Friday archives to look at Milo and Sophie.

I mentioned a while back that I had diastasis recti with Milo’s pregnancy and a few of you have asked me about it. I’m not an expert or a doctor, but here’s a little bit about my story. And by a little bit, I mean kind of a lot.

The background.

For starters, I’m 5’2″ and fairly petite with a short torso. At just over 7 pounds at birth, Sophie felt like a big baby for my first full-term pregnancy. And actually, upon Sophie’s delivery, as my doctor stitched up the tearing her superfast delivery had caused, my doctor (whom I LOVE) said with a pained voice, “oh, honey, I’m sorry. This is a big baby for you. I hope this is your biggest baby.” Other than the super painful tearing, my recovery from Sophie’s birth went remarkably well. I felt really lucky and hoped that would always be the case for me.

So, naturally, Milo decided to one-up his sister. For the duration of Milo’s pregnancy, I was horribly sick. He was positioned pretty low for almost my entire pregnancy (Sophie had been VERY high). I also gained more weight with Milo, though I ate healthfully and exercised regularly, just as I had with Sophie.

I was so wildly uncomfortable all the time because he was so low. My back pain was so bad that I actually slept on the floor for the last 5 months of the pregnancy because that was the only way to get the tiniest bit of relief. Desperately, I asked my doctor if he was measuring big, and she assured me that he seemed to be right at 50th percentile (just like Sophie).

I felt like such a baby for being in such agony, but it was nearly unbearable. Even two days before he was delivered, my OB said she thought he *miiiiight* barely weigh seven pounds and would be shocked if it were much more than that. I told her dejectedly that I was sure he had to be bigger than that.

He was.

At 8lbs 8oz and delivered after only a couple of hours’ labor, my doctor gasped and she said simply “he’s so big.” As they called out his weight, we all sort of gasped in shock then stared laughing. “I KNEW IT!” I said! Also, the anesthesiologist who we worked with pointed out that because of the way I was carrying Milo, he had literally warped my spine a bit (like a sort of pregnancy scoliosis), which would explain all the agony and pain over the last many months.

Recovery from this delivery was much less smooth. My body was a completely different landscape than it had been before. Everything was soft and my stomach was completely different.

(side note: I know that smaller girls have delivered larger babies without medication and walked home afterward. I know my situation wasn’t the worst, but it sure was uncomfortable!)

Dealing with Diastasis

While some separation of the rectus abdominis (6-pack) muscles is the norm during pregnancy to make way for an expanding belly, the separation often closes back up as you heal from delivery. It’s also totally normal to have 1-2 fingers’ width separation even after healing. This is not generally considered enough separation to cause concern.

I had a 4-finger diastasis recti, or separation of the rectus abdominis (6-pack) muscles after Milo’s birth, and after six months, I still had a 3 1/2 finger gap. Want to test for it yourself? Find out how to check it here.

Diastasis recti can be addressed in a lot of ways, from girdles & bands to certain exercises to surgery, and often reconstructive surgery is the only way to really fully close that gap back up (because, as I said, it’s normal and ok to have 1-2 fingers of separation even after healing).

What worked for me

1. Addressing Baby Weight

First, losing as much of the baby weight as possible helped me to really identify what was happening under that soft layer of extra. This is part of the healing process anyway, so I hadn’t lost all my baby weight before starting to address diastasis recti.

I never went on a major diet. Instead, I kept track of my calories through the free MyFitnessPal app and continued to gently exercise with walks (and playing Just Dance with Michael to combat the stress of Sophie’s autism diagnosis, if I’m honest) and tracking it with a fitness tracker. At the time, I had a Nike Fuelband, though after it died, I bought a Fitbit Flex, which I’ve been using ever since.

When I was a health and wellness coach, MyFitnessPal was the tool I always recommended to my clients. I think it’s fairly straightforward to use and helps you be mindful of your calorie intake and output throughout the day. You can even import recipes from the internet (like my blog!) to see what the nutrition facts are. You can also sync it with a fitness tracker (like the FitBit) to include any calories you’ve burned through exercise.

2. Choosing exercise carefully.

Like I said, I started gently. Diastasis recti makes for a rough recovery. If you’ve had a C-section AND have diastasis recti, this is even more important. If you’re nursing, you need to be careful not to affect your milk supply. I first asked my doctor what she recommended, and she said to avoid traditional ab exercises until I was certain I knew how to properly engage my core. There are certain exercises you should avoid at first that can actually worsen the separation (things like twisting exercises or crunches).

3. Learn about proper core work

It’s really (REALLY) important to learn how to properly engage your stomach muscles.Lindsay Brin is one of the best resources out there, in my opinion. She’s got videos and exercises that walk you through things really well.

My number one recommendation is to learn how to engage your transversis abdominis, which is a deep core muscle that wraps around your belly like a belt. It pulls your stomach muscles in. Properly engaging your transversis abdominis during a crunch will lead to a flattening of the stomach rather than a little mountain in the middle when you’re crunching.

While I was confident doing this before pregnancy, I used these exercises to practice doing that properly with diastasis recti. They seem overly simple, but if you don’t properly engage your transversis, you will not make much progress in any of your other exercises.

Doing core exercises while properly supporting my transversis abdominis closed my gap significantly and allowed me to get back to traditional core exercises, though even after 2 1/2 years, I’m still very careful about which exercises I choose. Planks are my go-to ab exercise. Plank all the day long (with proper core engagement). It will do wonders for you. And do be sure you’re doing crunches correctly if you decide to go that route.

Where I am today

Today, I have a 1 finger diastasis recti opening. I do lots of planks and plank variations, along with some careful crunches (engaging those muscles correctly!). I still have saggy skin and my belly button looks like a nightmare. If I ever want to take care of the remaining opening and saggy-ness, my doctors have told me the only remaining option is surgery. At this point, I’m just sticking with midriff-covering swimming suits and calling it good.

A few helpful links:

This is the Lindsay Brin DVD I own, though I did find a lot of information on her YouTube channel. I’m ordering a few of her other DVDs (her new 30 Day Core and Pretty Fierce, which are supposed to help with strength and toning) for my birthday.

This is my favorite fitness app, which is what I use most often for a quick workout these days.

I know many people have found success using the MuTu(Mummy Tummy) girdle and exercise system. I didn’t have the time, money, or energy for that when I was healing (that was right when Sophie was being diagnosed with autism), so I opted for exercise as my “treatment” plan. If I ever get pregnant again, I’ll probably look into this for my recovery.

Have you healed from diastasis recti? What worked for you?Do you have any questions for me?

Comments

Thanks so much for this post Emily! I am going to look into some of these tips like getting that fitness app and trying out the workouts you recommended from Lindsay Brin. After each baby I lose the baby weight but my tummy isn’t the same and needs extra attention.

I hear you… I’ve had 3 babies and 3 c-sections in 3 years. Very fit before it and ran during my pregnancies… I still have horrible seperstion. 3rd baby is 8 weeks and I’m lost and confused on safe exercises.

Great, informative post, Emily! I had a diastasis recti after I had Helen, and I used Linsday Brin’s workouts (her Postnatal Bootcamp and Core Firing Sequence DVDs) to help get back in shape. I also did a modified version of P90X – I think that really helped to close my diastasis, even though they do traditional ab work. I think because I learned how to properly work my abs through Lindsay’s teaching it didn’t do any damage.

During pregnancy #4, I noticed both a large diastasis, and an umbilical hernia. Baby was 9#4, my biggest – and last! After his birth, I had the hernia repaired. Shortly after, I developed another 🙁 I ignored it for a time (because I didn’t have any, between 4 kids, home schooling, and working on a Master’s degree!) but eventually relented to seeking help again. Turned out that my diastasis had worsened and become a ventral hernia, and I had 2 umbilical hernias, not just the one. The surgeon said my belly was like swiss cheese 🙁 That surgery was just over 3 weeks ago, so I’m still very much healing, but in another month or so, I’ll get on to the core strengthening. For now, it’s walking, walking, walking. Thanks for sharing your story!!

Oh, Katrina, I’m so sorry! That sounds so awful and so hard! My mom had hernias with each one too. She had to have major repair surgery as well, so I can only imagine that can be rough. Wishing you a swift and smooth recovery!

I am a homeschooling mom of 6, I had to have 3 hernia surgeries and an emergency hysterectomy after baby 6. That was a year ago I restarted mutu too many times to remember, but after 2.5 years I have finally done it. Still lots to do but much stronger core and less back pain! It is a process, thanks for sharing your story, best of luck with your healing!

Great post! Just as a note, Mutu definately does not use a girdle! That is the program I used to heal my diastasis and the whole physiological basis of Mutu demonstrates how using a girdle post partum can be unhelpful in long term healing. Mutu is a great system that I highly recommend and write about my experience as well!

Sandra – Great question. My doctor and the people I worked with told me that a 1-2 finger separation is totally normal and may not ever close without surgery. It wouldn’t be considered a problematic diastasis (meaning you should avoid certain exercises, etc.) at that level of separation. I still have a 1 finger separation (my son is now 4) and I don’t think it’ll ever close all the way.

Hi Emily, thank you so much for your post. In talking with other moms, it is so clear that many have never even heard of diastasis recti. I have had wonderful success with The Dia Method. It only requires 10 mins/day to see results. It’s amazing. Thank you again for spreading the word about DR!

How long did it take you to get down to 1 finger width? I found out about 8-months post -partum (it was my second pregnancy but first full term, as my first child was born vaginally 6 weeks early) that I had a 4-5-4 diastasis (I had previously measured myself and thought that I was just a 1 and assumed that my pooching belly was due to belly fat, but turns out I was measuring totally incorrectly with shoulders off the floor, etc.). I did Mutu RELIGIOUSLY for 12 weeks, which was awesome for losing weight, wore a Tupler splint also about 90% of waking/non-waking hours for 9 of those weeks, and adjusted my body mechanics to be easier on my diastasis. After 12 weeks I was less than my pre-pregnancy weight but I still had the belly! Measured my diastasis again by a professional and I was STILL a 4-5-4. (I’m very athletic and aware of body mechanics, nutrition, etc. so this was very disappointing and confusing!) Started the Tupler Technique, wore the splint again about 90% of the time and was also about 80-90% percent compliant with the [hundred.and.hundreds] of daily exercises but after 6 weeks my diastasis had only closed about 1-and-a-half fingerwidths. My middle is around a 3 or 4 (the professional measuring me had much smaller fingers, so when I measure it feels like a 3, she measures it as a 4). Needless to say, it’s very frustrating and disappointing. Wondering how long you had to stick with it to see results.

Oh, I can understand your frustration! It sounds like you’re doing all the right things! My son was almost 2 by the time I got down to a 1 finger width opening. Most of the professionals I spoke with said that often surgery is the only resort for some people’s bodies. I hope that doesn’t have to be the case for you! I wish I knew more about it myself. I’m sure you have, but have you checked in with Lindsay Brin? She’s an expert and even teaches certification for post-natal fitness. She’s at Moms Into Fitness.

I highly recommend The Dia Method. The workouts are endorsed by medical professionals and may be completed in 10 minutes/day. A study showed The Dia Method to resolve diastasis within 12 weeks. Very effective program with a super supportive online group.

MUTU is fantastic, she does not recommend a splint. After 6 kids and a terribly messed up belly I am 5’3″ and usually weigh 120, my kids were 8 plus pounds the biggest was 9 lbs 13 oz, my last girl @39! I finished all 12 weeks of Mutu it was simple, affordable and has made a huge difference. I tried Tupler it was expensive and RESTRICTIVE! Good luck to everyone getting those tummies back, the littles are so worth it!

thanks for sharing your journey while recovering from Diastasis. I am currently recovering from mine and always feel like I have forever to go!! I was extremely discouraged when I first realized something was wrong, but had never been educated about this being a possibility. When I went out searching I discovered Sarah E. Duvall online. She is a physical therapist that has created an online program directly for women recovering after baby. I have had wonderful results and she is extremely accessible for questions and feedback. I would love to compare notes with you and see how similar the exercises and such were. I feel so much stronger and am much more confident to some day have another little one!

I didn’t develop diastasis with my first pregnancy, so I really didn’t do all that much other than nursing and getting back into exercising. My muscles came together on their own after that pregnancy. My kids are only 20 months apart, so I’ve wondered if that contributed to my getting diastasis in my second pregnancy. My little boy was 1.5 pounds bigger than my daughter and carried SUPER low (she was SUPER high), so there were a lot of factors. Honestly, I wasn’t recovered till around the 2-2.5 year mark after my second pregnancy. I’m probably done having babies, but I can totally understand the concern! Especially when you know what a road it was to recovery!

That’s very interesting because I carried extremely low with my little guy as well and I was never as strong in my core as I had once thought. (I was only 4-5 months pregnant and people were asking me if I was ready to pop!) I’m hoping with being involved with Sarah’s program continuously into my next pregnancy will also help with issues that I wasn’t aware of before, such as: strong pelvic floor, proper breathing, etc. If your blog is still here by the end of my next pregnancy…I’ll definitely visit back 😉 Thanks again for sharing your story!

OMG! This was the most encouraging thing I’ve read regarding DR period. We are nearly the same height (I’m 5’3″), my first was 7lb 7 oz and second (who was born just short of 1.5 years later) was 8lb 13oz!

With my second, I carried her verrrry low. It looked like I had a large tumore rather than baby in there. I received plenty of grossed out faces during my trips to the grocery store. (People are so rude!) And to make matters worse, my second baby, gained most of her weight around 7 1/2 month period. Meaning I was walking around with 8lbs of baby will still a month and half to go. (My dr.s apologized when they told me my baby would be delivered on schedule. They were hoping that they had mistaken the baby’s due date and I’d be able to have her earlier.)

Both babies were C-Sec deliveries. (My first was an emergency one and the second baby was so big, I thought there is no way in hell I’m doing a VBAC)

There have been a lot of things I’ve done wrong in my recovery, such as the right way to get up, holding my toddler, bending over to lift my newborn out of a playpen, lifting my toddler out of a crib. And my mom had DR as well.

My youngest is one now, and I’ve come a long way. i still have quite a bit of protrusion, but i can get into spanks (before I couldn’t get them over my stomach, even when I went up a few sizes). I work out often and also use MyFitnessPal. (After having 2 C-Secs, a mommy makeover {surgical types} was not an options because I’m “surgeried” out!

This journey has been an adjustment and I’ll probably be revisiting you’re site for more advise. Really, I just wanted to say thank you for being so transparent with your delivery recovery. This is the most encouraged I’ve felt about my situation.

I am SO glad to hear that. It feels like such a long road sometimes, but I am cheering for you! Also, I recently saw this program by Natalie Hodson. If I was ever going through a program again in the future, this would probably be one I’d try!

I am a little smaller than you at 5’1″ and prepregnancy weight of 113lbs. I also had a four finger gap after carrying my twins to term (don’t even ask me how I managed to do that!). I just recently had my third child, born at almost 8lbs, which resulted in an umbilical hernia as well, thanks to the lack of core left behind from the twins.

I really appreciate not only the advice, but just simply knowing that it’s possible to get from four fingers to one. Thank you for sharing your story and giving me the inspiration to know it’s possible without surgery. I don’t really want reconstructive surgery and now know there is hope in trying through a fitness program first.

Sara – I’m cheering for you! It’s SO hard and feels overwhelming at times. Natalie Hodson (a fitness guru) and a doctor recently came up with this system. If I were going through recovery again, it’s totally the program I’d want to start with. I’m wishing you all the luck in the world!

Thanks for sharing! Was just diagnosed with a diastasis recti myself. Had my second 9.5lb baby a few months ago, and I finally went to see a physical therapist after losing all the baby weight but still looking like I did at 3 months pregnant. I’m only a few days in to the recommended exercises, but I hope that alone will correct it. I’ve felt great from seriously 2 days pp on and I really wish my OB would have checked for this at the 6 week mark (if it’s possible that early) because I probably made it worse by getting into intense workouts after that.

I had a very similar situation! I was 5’1 90 pounds when I first got pregnant with my son. He was born 8 pounds 8 oz and 21 inches long (at 39 weeks- c section) I had gained so much weight and was at 115 after losing the baby weight but my stomach had lots of lose skin and I had a herniated belly button. My daughter was born c section as well but 40 plus weeks and weighed 8 pounds 7 oz 21 inches long. I guess I just make big babies!! With her pregnancy even though I only gained the normal 20 pounds and was much more active my stomach muscles separated. My sons 4 and my daughters almost two and I am 2 months post tummy tuck. It’s amazing the difference it has made. Such a rough recovery but definitely worth it.

this is the best post I’ve ever read about diastasis recti! thank you thank you for sharing your story. I’m pretty petite myself and just had a 8lb 6oz baby girl almost a month ago. I’m wondering everyday how I’ll get my body to look somewhat normal again.